


(I'm like a rubber band) until you pull too hard

by katsukiy



Series: tumblr prompts [7]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: (™), Canon Compliant, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Like really minor, M/M, Minor Injuries, The Yuuri Katsuki Experience, a pulled muscle at most, they're still in Hasetsu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 11:12:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11125878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katsukiy/pseuds/katsukiy
Summary: Yuuri is very, very aware of his limits. He prodded and stretched them to impossible since he was a little kid, wondering if he could take another jump, even if his feet were swollen and he couldn't feel them anymore, and taking that jump anyway. Turns out, he couldn't. Two days in bed and a pretty cool looking abrasion later could testify that.





	(I'm like a rubber band) until you pull too hard

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: What would happen if Yuuri were to hide a skate injury from Vitya?

Yuuri is very, very aware of his limits. He prodded and stretched them to impossible since he was a little kid, wondering if he could take another jump, even if his feet were swollen and he couldn't feel them anymore, and taking that jump anyway. Turns out, he couldn't. Two days in bed and a pretty cool looking abrasion later could testify that.

Yuuri sometimes thinks of those limits like a narrow circle not unlike a rubber band; he can pluck and pull at it, but it will always snap back in place.  
This time he's acutely aware that the snap is about to happen, any minute now, but he keeps pulling anyway. And when it does, it hurts. The cold seeps on his back and he's staring at the rink ceiling, and then at Viktor's face, his downturned mouth and eyes filled with worry.

The rubber band is back in place now, though, so he can start again the process to stretch it. Right? 

He accepts Viktor's hand, who hoists him up gracefully, and he’s suddenly, acutely aware that his side burns like hell, but he doesn't even wince. "I just lost my footing," he reassures, and Viktor arches his eyebrows.  
"I can keep going," Yuuri says, no hint of wavering in his voice.

Future Viktor will know Yuuri so intimately that he'll call bullshit in a blink. This Viktor, though, is new to the Yuuri Katsuki Experience, so he just claps his hands and smiles sunnily. "Alright!" he exclaims, and their hands are still interlocked, and Yuuri doesn't really want to let go, but he does. 

He's gotten so good at hiding the discomfort, he can keep nipping at the rubber band for another two hours, until the pain is a dull throb in his body, terrible and traitorous, and Viktor calls out his name.

His eyes are narrowed, icy, his mouth a thin line. "That's enough for today," he says, and nothing else. The silence is deafening, as Yuuri changes back into his sneakers, and as they go back home, Viktor cycling in front of him, unusually quiet. They eat, and Viktor smiles and blabbers in stilted Japanese to his parents and family but never looks at him in the eyes. It feels cold, and lonely, and Yuuri's chest is caving in on itself because he knew it wouldn't have lasted.

Viktor asks him to take a bath together, and that's the first thing he says directly to him since they left the rink. Despite knowing where the conversation will go, Yuuri doesn't find it in himself to deny him.

His side is screaming, and his throat feels like a bowling ball is stuck inside. He doesn't look at Viktor until they're inside the warm water, and only then he sees his expression: it feels like- disappointment?

"Ah," Yuuri starts, and Viktor's eyes pierce him, daring him to continue "I- I understand if you don't want to do this anymore."

Viktor's demeanor changes completely, then. He goes through surprise first, then understanding. Yuuri can only watch and burn, sweating through the knowledge that everything is gonna end, just like this.

"Yuuri," Viktor whispers, and it's soft, too soft, Yuuri has to avert his eyes. "Yuuri, I'm not leaving."

That's quick to make his head whip up again. "You're not?" he asks, and Viktor sighs, smiles. He rubs at his face with a wet hand, leaving shiny droplets behind, it's attractive to the point of being ridiculous.

"It was stupid of me not to tell you right away," Viktor wonders aloud, scrunching up his nose "I just got pissed off and closed up. I'm still new at this," he says it with a deprecating little smile, and Yuuri wants to wipe it immediately with his mouth. Viktor is not leaving because he's a disappointment, he said he wasn't. So for now Yuuri gets to keep him, right? But. Viktor also said he was pissed off. Huh.

"I got angry," Viktor explains, seemingly reading his mind "because of this."  _This_  turns up being his side, which Viktor reaches for not ungently, making him flinch. It doesn't even hurt that bad, he's had worse, but it's still sore and- Viktor presses just the tip of his fingers on it, and Yuuri is on fire.

"Yuuri," Viktor calls, and his eyes automatically rise up to his face again, when they had left to watch the point of contact instead. "You have to tell me when you're injured, I can't keep you safe if you don't." It weird, they way he uses _keeping safe_ , but Yuuri passes it on linguistic loss and flushes.

"It's- it's nothing, really," he babbles, and Viktor's fingers on his side flex, leaving a hot impression, despite being nothing more than a caress. Yuuri feels floaty, it doesn't even hurt anymore.

"It's not nothing," Viktor tuts, his eyes very serious and intent "You have to tell me, especially if you feel like something that shouldn't be hurting does," he pauses, moves his fingers a little to the side, where it's just regular muscle, nothing throbbing "You can tell me anything."

Here it is again, that thing where it seems like they're having entirely different conversations, Viktor’s side the one that Yuuri has lost important bits and pieces of.

"You shouldn't push yourself so much," Viktor adds, and Yuuri wants to laugh. There's nothing for him to do else than keep pushing, Viktor should know. His train of thought must be evident on his face, because Viktor frowns. "As your coach," he starts, again "it's my duty to make sure you're in perfect form. Skating when you aren't is dangerous, and I want you to know that from now on I'll expect you to tell me if something isn't right with your body." He says it fast and cold, like being hit by a whip, and Yuuri hunches his shoulders and whispers "Yes."

He’s right. He  _should_  tell him. And he will. (Except when he knows it won’t hurt to keep going.)

"Yuuri," Viktor calls, and he's smiling now, like nothing’s happened "Will you take me sightseeing tomorrow?"

Yuuri reflexively relaxes, widens his eyes "What."

He sees Viktor's lips curl even wider, his eyes almost twinkling. He scratches his nails on Yuuri's abdomen and chirps "Training is suspended for two days. Next time you hide an injury from me, I'll make it a week."

" _Haa?!_ "

**Author's Note:**

> added nonsense:  
> \- it can happen only one time because after that Viktor will start looking for it on purpose like a truffle dog  
> \- no matter how sneaky, Yuuri will lose against him  
> \- Viktor will know, always  
> \- some time after, Yuuri explains his alternative theory and Viktor kindly calls bullshit on it  
> \- some rubber bands are better left alone, he says, because they will snap back for some time, but if you stretch them too much for too long they'll also break  
> \- "Your physical limits are good enough. _You_ are enough." Yuuri tears up and apologize and Viktor cuddles him and peppers his face with kisses  
>  \- next time he has an injury, he still apologizes profusely and feels like it’s somehow his fault (it’s not, Viktor reminds him, booping his nose) but takes care of himself properly, even if he'll have to skip practice for a bit  
> \- Viktor kisses him silly and is super proud  
> \- :')
> 
> Scream at me @[tumblr](http://yuriplisetsk.tumblr.com)!  
> This is silly, but it got deep super fast. Title is from Sia's Elastic Heart because how could I not.  
> Kudos and comments save my endangered life daily?  
> 


End file.
